Degamo slay suspect enjoying NBI privileges? DOJ sets probe

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will investigate reports that alleged Degamo assassination ringleader Marvin Miranda is among those buying privileges within the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention facility.

Justice spokesman Mico Clavano said yesterday the DOJ believes that detainees like Miranda are buying privileges within the NBI, in the same manner drug suspect Jose Adrian Dera enjoys special privileges.

Dera, held for several drug charges including one where he is co-accused with former senator Leila de Lima, was arrested last week carrying some firearms and cash upon returning to the NBI detention center in Manila from an unauthorized rendezvous made possible by the bureau’s security officers.

He was snuck out by six NBI Security Management Division personnel on Tuesday night aboard an NBI van.

Agents seized from Dera bundles of cash amounting to about P100,000 – composed mostly of P100 and some P1,000 bills. His lawyer said the money was pooled from inmate contributions for food.

Clavano said a DOJ probe is underway to determine the scope of the scheme, including a look into whether Miranda is also getting the same privilege.

“That is something we definitely have to look at because we have reports that from the start, (Miranda) has been taking money during his excursions,” Clavano told reporters.

Aside from the probe, the DOJ is also eyeing Dera’s transfer to another detention facility, with Clavano saying Dera had spent “hundreds of thousands” in cash to pay for several privileges inside the NBI facility, including numerous alleged unauthorized excursions outside the NBI.

“This includes food and his sleeping conditions. All of these, we learned, are being paid for by our detainee, Jad Dera,” Clavano said.

“We’ve been saying that familiarity with the detention center exposes risks. Our detainees are always thinking about how they can make their stay better. And that is something we cannot allow anymore. We want to curtail this and stop this practice by moving him from one detention center to another,” he added.

He said the DOJ was already investigating officials who could be involved in the sale of privileges for the filing of criminal and administrative complaints.

Yesterday, the NBI detention center head was suspended, following an investigation on the arrest of Dera and five NBI personnel last June 20.

Last week, the NBI security management section chief was also suspended from his post pending investigation. — Mark Ernest Villeza